Tian Lv, Yu-Jun Xiong, Qian-Yuan Zhu
Since its introduction in 2023, CKM research has grown rapidly into a collaborative and multidisciplinary field. Future efforts should focus on strengthening international partnerships, advancing mechanistic research, and improving the clinical translation of the CKM framework for risk stratification and prevention.
BACKGROUND: The concept of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome has recently been introduced as an integrated framework linking heart, kidney, and metabolic disorders. However, a global overview of the research landscape in this emerging field is still lacking.
METHODS: Publications related to CKM published between 2023 and 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. The search strategy incorporated the following terms: TS = ("cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic" OR "cardiovascular kidney metabolic" OR "cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome" OR "cardiovascular kidney metabolic syndrome" OR "CKM syndrome" OR "CKM health" OR "CKM framework" OR "cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health"). Bibliometric indicators, including publication volume, authorship patterns, institutional and country contributions, journal distribution, co-citation networks, and keyword burst analysis, were systematically assessed.
RESULTS: A total of 1, 854 articles from 665 journals were identified. Annual output surged from 8 in 2023 to 1, 544 in 2025. A total of 8, 359 authors contributed, with an average of 7.95 co-authors per paper, reflecting strong collaborative activity. China and the United States were the most productive countries, with the latter acting as a central node in international collaboration networks. Keyword and citation analyses showed a clear shift from individual risk factors toward integrated cardiometabolic-renal interactions, clinical outcomes, and mortality. Highly cited works mainly addressed the definition, epidemiology, and clinical relevance of CKM.
CONCLUSION: Since its introduction in 2023, CKM research has grown rapidly into a collaborative and multidisciplinary field. Future efforts should focus on strengthening international partnerships, advancing mechanistic research, and improving the clinical translation of the CKM framework for risk stratification and prevention.